Heavy duty trucks, such as over the road semi trucks, are typically operated over substantial distances and for extended periods of time. During operation, heavy duty trucks consume large quantities of fuel while moving items long distances. It is estimated that semi trucks travel between approximately 120,000 and 150,000 miles per year. While advances in aerodynamics have improved fuel efficiency in heavy duty trucks, drivers and companies typically incur significant fuel costs as a result of the long distances traveled by trucks every year.
While new trucks or “tractors” continue to introduce new technologies to improve fuel efficiency, many legacy trucks remain on the road for extensive periods of time. For example, often used trucks having over 300,000 or 500,000 are purchased by operators for continued use. Such trucks will continue to be operated up to and over 1,000,000 miles.
On a typical heavy duty truck, many components are powered by the engine of the truck. For example, a truck's air conditioning system typically includes a compressor and engine fan that are powered by one or more drive belts attached to the truck's engine. Further, a typical truck includes a condenser located within an engine compartment of the truck, commonly located behind a grill of the truck adjacent the truck's radiator. The compressor, engine fan, and condenser together reduce a fuel efficiency of the truck by obstructing a flow of air through the radiator of the truck and increasing a load on the truck's engine.
What is needed, therefore, is a method of modifying an existing heavy duty truck air conditioning system to substantially reduce a load placed on the engine and increase fuel efficiency of the heavy duty truck.